The Imo State Police Command has smashed and arrested a cult group behind armed robbery, phone-theft and circumvention of phone trackers in Eziobodo, in Owerri West local government area.
The spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, disclosed this on Saturday in Owerri, the state capital.
Okoye said the cult members who specialised in armed robbery and theft of phones were nabbed following the complaint by a phone dealer after his shop was burgled and phones were carted away.
He said, “Following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop in Eziobodo was burgled on July 11, 2025, operatives of the Anti-Vice Unit arrested a suspect in possession of four brand-new stolen phones. Investigations led to the arrest of the principal burglar and another accomplice who specialised in altering phone IMEI numbers to evade tracking.
“All suspects are in custody, and efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate are ongoing,” he said.
In another development, operatives of Orji Police Station in Owerri North LGA, on Thursday, arrested one Ernest Nweke at Bishop’s Court Roundabout, following a distress call from concerned citizens.
The suspect, a native of Umuoji in Ngor Okpala LGA and resident of World Bank Owerri, was arrested with a locally fabricated pistol after he and three others robbed one Emmanuel Feargod of Fountain of Knowledge Hostel. The PPRO said the perpetrators have confessed to the crime.
“Nweke, who confessed to being a member of the Vikings Cult group, was identified by the victim and arrested while the others fled. Based on his confession, four other suspects: Chamberlain Prince, Akujuobi Godwin, Ugwuelu Joseph, and Frederick Chigozie were arrested the next morning and also confessed to the crime. All suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be duly prosecuted in court,” Okoye said.
On his part, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, who commended the officers for their swift action, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to fighting crime, even as he urged residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest Police Station or via 0803 477 3600.
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